RACO 2015 Biennial Delegate Conference

The Association’s Biennial Delegate Conference of 2015 was held in Kilashee House Hotel inNaas between 17-19 November 2015. (Photographs by Peter Shaughnessy)

Conference Delegates completed a Strategy Workshop on Day 1 & 2, the purpose of which was to review Association Vision and Key Pillars of Future Strategy towards 2025.
Association Policy was then debated on Day 2 & 3 with the Conference discussing and debating motions put to conference by members.
The Chief of Staff and Minister for Defence also addressed Conference Delegates on the evening of Day 2.
The Conference Banquet included presentations from three (3) members representing experiences of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps that proved very successful in representing the
dynamic professionalism of DF Commissioned Officers. Ms Elizabeth Hughes (Hughes Murphy Solicitors) responded on behalf of the banquet guests reinforcing the relationship of
Hughes Murphy with RACO while recognising the ethos of duty we perform on behalf of citizen and state. Day 3 of Conference included presentations by our Service Providers that reinforced
established relationships.

The Key Points raised by the Association with Management included:
• The dysfunction of the DF Conciliation and Arbitration Process requesting that an External Review of the Scheme be conducted with the objective of creating a more effective forum of engagement.
• The requirement to address “family friendly policies” in an effort to support DF Officers who are continually relocated from home stations.
• The requirement for Management to address the ongoing “retention” issues of the organisation as a consequence of the continual exit of officers forcing additional burdens on those serving.
Formation/Service Committees who attended as the Conference Delegates, endorsed the work, engagement and position of the Association as articulated by the General Secretary &
Association President.
Formation/Service Committees, the Conference Delegates, who attended conference can be contacted for feedback.

SIGNAL Journal is one of Europe's leading defence and security journals published on behalf of RACO (www.raco.ie) for commissioned officers in the Irish Defence Forces. It is distributed nationally and internationally through RACO's affiliation with EUROMIL to a wide number of officers in European defence forces and agencies.